Olivier Darrigol's A History of Optics: From Greek Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century is a lucid, compact account of the science of light over the past 2,500 years. ... This work is the first to tackle a long-term history of optics of such scale and depth ... Darrigol's concise and elegant work gives an excellent overview of the history of optics. It makes few theoretical claims and steers clear of historiographical debates. But its clear presentation of the important continuities of the debate over optical theory through the centuries shows the benefit of looking beyond a single narrow context.

Theresa Levitt, Metascience

This book presents a comprehensive survey of optical theories from Descartes to the late 19th century. The clear explanations and orderly presentation certainly make it into a major reference tool for those interested in the history of optics as well as to historians of science and philosophy in general.

Raz Chen-Morris, Centaurus

Darrigol's judicious and thorough historical analysis of the use of the analogy between light and sound is a particularly nice feature of the book.

Alan Shapiro, Isis

A History of Optics is a welcome addition since it is the only concise, intellectual history of optics covering such a long period. Instructors in the history of science will no doubt use it as a textbook in introductory history of physics courses; physicists, and specifically optical physicists, may enjoy witnessing the development of the discipline through the millennia.

Jacqueline Feke, Physics Today

As an intellectual history the book is well researched, well written, and does an excellent job in showing the importance of optics (and the lightâsound analogy) throughout the development of classical physics.

Ga¡bor Zempeén, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science